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The freedom fighter Herman Andimba Toivo ya Toivo

Andimba Toivo ya toivo is one of the freedom fighter. He was born on 22 August 1924 in the Ovamboland region in the north of South West Africa Namibia, which had been one of the few German colonies in Africa.

Toivo worked as a teacher and he took time to fight with the South African Army in World War II. In 1951, he re-located to Cape Town and became active in anti-apartheid and independence politics, while working in South Africa’s gold mines, Toivo became increasingly sickened by the apartheid government’s treatment of black people both in South Africa and South West Africa. He also became concerned with the bitter struggle between the South African government and the United Nations over South West Africa’s status as a mandated territory.

Life in prison

In 1960 Toivo and fellow nationalist Sam Nujoma formed the Swapo While both were on occasion jailed, Nujoma escaped the country and travelling to Tanzania and Ghana to reach the UN where he presented their case to the Security Council and he was one of 35 independent activists arrested and transported to Pretoria. He was held for a year under brutal conditions and subjected to repeated cross-examination before he was finally taken to trial. The case lasted six months and in February 1968, Toivo was sentenced to 20 years under South Africa’s new anti-terrorism legislation.

With Toivo in prison, Nujoma, who had been involved with the creation of headquarters and guerrilla training bases in Tanzania took over the presidency of Swapo and continued to act as its spokesperson on an international level.

By the late 1970s, South Africa was working hard to avoid the implementation of the new UN Security Council Resolution Number 435 outlining a transition to independence. Under South African support, an opposition group to Swapo, the DTA was formed a supposedly multiracial group led by Dirk Mudge’s Republican Party. Mudge was selected to lead the resultant coalition government.

Back home

In 1984, Herman Toivo ya Toivo was released. He had served 16 years of the 20 year sentenced, some of the time on Robben Island with Nelson Mandela. On release, Toivo joined the rest of the Swapo leadership in exile. Toivo returned to Namibia in 1989 to help pave the way for independence and to take part in the country’s first truly democratic general election.

Personal life

Throughout, Toivo had played a key role in freeing Namibia, and bravely contributing to the freedom that came to South Africa and he lives with his wife and two daughters.

References

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